Project
BrainSpectre
An installation that turns EEG data into a spectral presence, making invisible brain activity feel ethereal, abstract and personal.
Brief / Challenges
Context, constraints and the design question.
BrainSpectre started from the idea of turning the subconscious into something visible. The project explores the “ghost in the machine” not as an external presence, but as a manifestation of the user’s own brain activity.
The main challenge was to connect a physical ritual, a biometric sensor and a visual output into one coherent installation: a heavy metallic headset captures EEG and motion data, while a dark hologram box translates those signals into an abstract particle presence.
How can invisible brain activity become a physical, emotional and spectral encounter with the self?
The Process
A concise view of how the project took shape.
The project developed through three connected layers: the physical object, the sensory system and the audiovisual output. As a group, we built a modular headset and a Magic Camera box, while my main focus was translating Muse data into a real-time particle visualization and designing the sound atmosphere of the installation.
The process moved between material tests, sensor experiments, coding prototypes and final installation setup.
01 — Magic Camera
Testing reflection, light and depth.
The Magic Camera was developed through material tests with plexiglass, screen position and internal darkness. The goal was to control reflection and transparency enough to make the visual appear suspended inside the box, rather than displayed on a flat screen.
02 — Helmet
Building the wearable interface.
The helmet was assembled around the Muse sensor, keeping the technical components visible instead of hiding them. Cables, metallic surfaces and structural elements were used to give the object a raw functional identity, while still making it wearable during the interaction.
03 — Visualization
Defining the visual behavior.
The visualization was shaped by testing particle density, motion, scale and responsiveness. The aim was to create a system that could react to biometric input while avoiding a medical or dashboard-like aesthetic.
04 — Sound Design
Designing the sound layer.
The sound design was produced in FL Studio by layering low-mid frequencies, distorted textures, glitches and subtle pitch movements. These elements were used to create tension and support the physical perception of the installation space.
The Code
Connecting biometric data to a real-time particle system.
The visualization was developed with three.js/WebGPU, using an attractor-based particle system designed to react to Muse sensor data. Brainwave values such as alpha, beta, theta, delta and gamma were mapped to visual parameters like color, speed, mass, motion and particle behavior.
A calibration phase records the user’s initial EEG values and uses them as a baseline, making the visualization more stable and personal. The system also uses a local bridge to receive Muse data through Bluetooth and forward it to the browser via WebSocket, allowing the particle simulation to respond in real time inside the Magic Camera.
The Outcome
Final direction, delivery and visual output.
The final installation combines a wearable headset, a holographic display and a generative audiovisual system. When the user wears the headset, the Muse sensor captures brainwave and motion data, which influences the behavior of the particles inside the Magic Camera.
The result is not a direct scientific reading of the brain, but a poetic translation of biometric data: a spectral, unstable presence that feels personal, intimate and slightly unsettling.
Documentation shooting — Object and visual documentation
A controlled photographic documentation of the headset, the Magic Camera and the visual output. These images focus on the identity of the object: its brutalist metallic surface, exposed wires and the contrast between physical machinery and immaterial particles.
Final installation at Saceba — Installation setup and exhibition
The installation was presented in a dark environment to enhance the Magic Camera effect. The black surroundings isolated the user, the metallic headset and the floating visualization, turning the interaction into a private encounter between body, data and atmosphere.
